Ministers’ Deputies

CM Documents

CM(2011)132        15 September 2011^[1]

 

1124 Meeting, 26 October 2011

7 Education and culture

7.1 Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage and Landscape (CDPATEP)

Abridged report of the 4th plenary session (Strasbourg, 5-6 May 2011) and meeting of its Bureau (Strasbourg, 22-23 June 2011)

Item to be considered by the GR-C at its meeting on 11 October 2011

 

II.         Items for information

Opening of the meeting

1.         The 4th annual plenary session of the Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage and Landscape (CDPATEP) was held on 5 and 6 May 2011 in Strasbourg with Mr Mikko HÄRÖ (Finland) in the chair and was attended by 43 participating states. The agenda was adopted as set out in Appendix 1. The list of participants and a full meeting report are available from the Secretariat.

2.         Having regard to the creation of a new steering committee to replace the present committees on culture (CDCULT) and cultural heritage and landscape (CDPATEP) in 2012, there was also an evident need to bring the meeting date for the Bureau of the Committee forward to 22-23 June so that the CDPATEP might conform to the action of the Bureau of the CDCULT in promptly issuing guidelines on the establishment of the future working structures. This abridged report accordingly provides a synopsis of the reports of the plenary session and of the Bureau.[2]

Comments by the CDPATEP on the Council of Europe reform and the creation of a new steering committee

3.         The CDPATEP acknowledged the necessity of adapting the Council of Europe programme and structures to the political, economic and social contexts of present-day Europe by making it more forceful and relevant. Considering the unique added value of the Council, precisely in the fields covered by the CDPATEP, the Committee thought that the future committee’s terms of reference, in the same way as the 2012-2013 work programme, should:

3.1        preserve at the core of Council of Europe practice the functions of heritage and landscape convention monitoring which require action extending through time to aid the development of sustainable cross-cutting policies placed at the crossroads of the culture and spatial development sectors, the Council of Europe remaining the sole organisation able to deliver such service at the European level;

3.2        encourage the construction of platforms and networks involving public, private and community-based players, thereby expressing a shared responsibility towards heritages and the living environment within the meaning of the Faro Convention;

3.3        ensure interaction between the targeted projects on regional co-operation and field assistance and multilateral co-operation linked with the implementation of conventions, particularly by utilising the specific tools already developed by the Council of Europe (HEREIN communication system for heritage and ELCIS for landscape);

4.         Through the discussions of its Bureau, the CDPATEP formulated proposals for amendments to the future committee’s preliminary draft terms of reference regarding its title, objectives, expected outcomes, composition and subordinate structures. It asked the secretariat to incorporate these into the draft terms of reference to be submitted to the Committee of Ministers. Since a similar exercise was being pursued by the CDCULT, email consultations between the Bureaux and telephone conversations between the Chairs of the CDCULT and the CDPATEP had been carried out in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable title for the new committee to be proposed to the Committee of Ministers.[3]

Implementation of the 2011 work programme

Cultural heritage

5.         The CDPATEP welcomed the entry into force in June 2011 of the Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro), the unifying link for the actions conducted by the CDCULT and the CDPATEP, as well as the forthcoming ratifications or signatures by Armenia, Italy and Slovakia. The CDPATEP had made its contribution to the “review” of the Council of Europe conventions carried out by a working group in the framework of the reform, approved the suggested criteria, and supported the inclusion of the treaties on heritage and landscape in a category “quality of the collective living environment”. It was gratified that these instruments featured among the Organisation’s “key conventions” or “active conventions”.

6.         The final evaluation report on the “Programme of technical co-operation and assistance” was adopted by the CDPATEP, confirming the importance of this instrument of pan-European solidarity. The programme presents itself both as a “laboratory” for the application of Council of Europe standards and as a factor of reconciliation through the assertion of development schemes resulting from democratic dialogue. The CDPATEP moreover adopted a new frame of reference concerning the principles and objectives of the programme, reinforced in the perspective of the reform. Actions in the field allow the Organisation’s ethical principles and values to be tangibly demonstrated in the day-to-day lives of the citizens. Strong support is given to projects in hand, particularly to the “Ljubljana II Process”, which allow cross-cutting approaches defining areas of convergence between the economic, social, cultural and ecological environments.

7.         The CDPATEP took note with satisfaction of the development in progress and of the training foreseen prior to putting version 3 of the HEREIN information system on line, and thanked the countries which had made voluntary contributions since 2010 for the implementation of this phase (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland). The CDPATEP supported the actions for the system’s promotion and visibility (HEREIN News and Facebook), and reacted most favourably to the constitution by seven countries of a non-profit association (AISBL Herein) with the task of helping the development of the project, under a co-operation agreement to be signed with the Council of Europe.

Landscape

8.         The CDPATEP took note of the final declarations of the 6th Council of Europe Conference on the European Landscape Convention held in Strasbourg on 3 and 4 May 2011 presenting the overall report on the sector’s activities and referring in particular to the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Convention in Florence, the specific workshops in Malmö (Sweden) and Córdoba (Spain) and the future workshops foreseen in Portugal and Greece. It welcomed the progress recorded in the construction of the information system associated with the Florence Convention, which should be able to turn the technological gains of HEREIN to account.

9.         In accordance with the Rules on the European Landscape Award of the Council of Europe, the CDPATEP decided to propose that the Committee of Ministers:

-           to award the 2010-2011 European Landscape Award of the Council of Europe to the “Carbonia Project: the landscape machine” (syndicate of the Carbonia municipality, Italy) (regeneration of a XXth century modernist urban and mining landscape in a perspective of sustainable development);

-           to confer identical special mentions on three projects: “The Programmes of grants to local communities wishing to reclassify their urban and rural landscape as a pleasant living environment (Slovakia, Ekopolis Foundation); “City, territory and landscape: A project to educate and raise awareness about landscape” (Generalitat of Catalonia and Landscape Observatory of Catalonia); “Durham heritage coast” (United Kingdom).

In addition, the CDPATEP was gratified by the quality of all 14 projects submitted to the jury and stressed that they constituted a pole of documentation and reference on the application of the standards of the European Landscape Convention.

Awareness-raising

10.        The CDPATEP took note of the programme of events for the European Heritage Days, a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union, scheduled for 10-12 October 2011 in Wroclaw thanks to the support of the Polish authorities which it sincerely thanked. Events for the current year would include the 4th forum of the EHD on the theme “Value the Heritage! European Heritage and Economic Development”, the annual meeting of EHD national co-ordinators, and a novel training session.

Work programme 2012-2013

11.        The CDPATEP agreed as to the expediency of a bi-annual programme. It hoped that this development would be capable of turning to account the potential contribution of the sector, hitherto managed by the CDPATEP, to democratic participation and dialogue between populations. Many delegations considered that in the years ahead the quality of territorial development, at present inconspicuous in the programme, would become a major field for attaining the Council of Europe goals of democracy and effective realisation of human rights.

Development of partnerships

12.        The CDPATEP very favourably greeted the forthcoming establishment of an AISBL (non-profit association) supported by the Belgian authorities for reactivating a European network devoted to the transmission of built heritage expertise, and the proposal to re-launch in this way the network initiated by the Council of Europe committee responsible for heritage. It supported the idea that concerted action by the Council of Europe Secretariat, the Parliamentary Assembly and the representatives of the countries that set up the European Foundation for Heritage Skills (FEMP) could result in the revival of the FEMP’s spiritual heritage, derelict at present despite the value of this field.

13.        The CDPATEP also strongly encouraged the collaboration begun with ICCROM in Rome, whether regarding regional co-operation and technical assistance or the project to be conducted in liaison with professional circles for “Guaranteeing the quality of preservation/restoration of the cultural heritage”. The Italian delegation undertook to take up this matter in due course in the context of the new steering committee. The CDPATEP also gave a very favourable reception to the proposal backed by the French delegation to make the activity “Rendezvous in the garden” initiated in France a European-scale event with the support of an international network of associations working in that field.

Elections

14.        The elections were held in accordance with the CDPATEP’s terms of reference, due to expire on
31 December 2011. In this context the CDPATEP adopted the following decisions. The terms of office of the Chair and Vice-Chairs were renewed: Chair: Mikko HÄRÖ (Finland), Vice-Chairs: Susan WILLIAMSON (United Kingdom) and Jean-François SEGUIN (France). The appointment of the following members was confirmed up to 31 December 2011: Ms Athena ARISTOTELOUS CLERIDOU (Cyprus), Ms Malgorzata FOKT-WILLMANN (Poland), Mr Ara MARGARIAN (Armenia), Ms Pavlina MISIKOVA (Slovakia), Ms Erminia SCIACCHITANO (Italy). Mr Irakli METREVELI (Georgia) was elected until 31 December 2011, having regard to his participation in the CDCULT. Considering her experience and her knowledge at the present period of reform, the CDPATEP invited Ms Gislaine DEVILLERS to take part in the meeting of the Bureau to be held in June 2011.

Appendix

Agenda

1.         Opening of the meeting by the Chair

2.         Adoption of the agenda

3.         Elections of the Chair, Vice-Chairs and members of the Bureau

4.         Statement by the Director General of DG IV

5.         Follow-up to the Council of Europe CDPATEP conventions

5.1        Entry into force of the Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro) on       1 June 2011

5.2        Follow-up to the Granada (architectural heritage) and Valletta (archaeological heritage) Conventions

5.3        European Landscape Convention

            - 6th Council of Europe Conference on the European Landscape Convention (3-4 May 2011)

            - Information on the 10th meeting of the workshops on the implementation of the Convention       (October 2011)

            - Activity report and status of signatures and ratifications

            - Relations with UNESCO - proposed World Landscape Convention

5.4        Development of Convention follow-up tools and information systems for heritage and landscape

            - HEREIN 3: progress report

            - Report on the state of work of the landscape information system

5.5        Information on the Conventions Review Report Group connected with the reform of the Organisation

6.         Regional programmes and technical assistance: progress and relationship with the follow-up to the             conventions

6.1        Implementation of the programme of activities

6.2        Results of the evaluation of the programme: Discussion and adoption of recommendations                                                        

7.         Awareness-raising and promotion initiatives

7.1        European Heritage Days

7.2        2nd Session of the Council of Europe Landscape Award

7.3        European initiative for the promotion of "Parks and Gardens" in conjunction with the heritage and             landscape activities of the Council of Europe

8.         Proposed future activities: draft bi-annual programme 2012-2013 and working structures

8.1        Recapitulation on the preparation of a Council of Europe 2012-2013 bi-annual programme and initial             proposals of the Secretary General

8.2        Presentation of the Bureau memorandum on the "architecture" of the Committee: place of the      heritage and landscape sector in the Council of Europe reform

8.3        Opinion of the Committee on the orientation of the programme and structures

9.         Co-operation with ICCROM

9.1        Regional co-operation and in-the-field action

9.2        Collaboration on skills and qualifications of restorers

10.        Proposals for a possible revival of the co-operation in the field of heritage crafts through a new association (AISBL) involving training centres and other entities

11.        Other business

11.1      Information on the Cultural Routes programme

11.2      Collaboration with the European Union

11.3      Collaboration with audiovisual enterprises (Unicap Télévision projects)

11.4      Request for observer status

12.        Next meetings